Prior to the trade, Mammoth defensemen have combined for 43 shot attempts of at least 90 mph, which ranks ninth in the NHL. Sergachev has a hardest shot of 97.84 mph this season, ranking in the 93rd percentile among defensemen.

At an impromptu press conference at a hotel in Philadelphia Wednesday evening, Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong explained the process of convincing Weegar to choose Utah — a place he’s likely only visited in the Calgary Flames’ handful of visits over the past two years — as his long-term home.

While everyone was saying the Mammoth would pursue big fish, such as Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad, they instead targeted sensible, veteran depth players who could fill specific roles: Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev and Vítek Vaněček.

The Utah Mammoth and Calgary Flames are reportedly close to completing a major trade ahead of the deadline.

Armstrong also stressed the importance of the Mammoth qualifying for the playoff this season as the pivotal next step in their progression, saying, "Right now, we're about where I expected us to be. And now it's time for us to get the job done."

The Minnesota Wild face the Utah Mammoth Friday from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Puck drop is set for 9 p.m. ET.

The Philadelphia Flyers appear to have righted the ship, but a stiff challenge awaits Thursday when the Utah Mammoth come to town.

The Utah Mammoth started their five-game road trip with a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Dylan Guenther, Mikhail Sergachev, and JJ Peterka scored in the win, while Karel Vejmelka stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced.